Cacao-nib Crunch

Deep Dark Chocolate
Sara Perry with Jane Zwinger
There is nothing nicer than cozying up to a nice hot chocolate, or sharing privy information with friends over chocolatey coffee cake. Deep Dark Chocolate by Sara Perry is a delightful book dripping with gorgeous recipes, beautiful photos and tons of advice on how to select, melt, and use chocolate. You are in for a treat! Softcover, 195 pp. $

Makes about 2 cups

At Cacao, in downtown Portland, Oregon, owners Aubrey Lindley and Jesse Manis are always finding new ways to use crushed cocoa, beans or cacao nibs. These crunchy, sweet nuggets are, by far, my favorite. They are delicious as a snack, tossed in with your breakfast granola, or over an ice-cream sundae. Jesse even adds them to salads whenever chopped nuts are included.

1 cup superfine sugar (you can whirl 1 cup of regular sugar in a food processor until fine, about 30 seconds)
1/2 cup water
1 3/4 cup premium cacao nibs

This recipe depends on visual cues. The total cooking time is about 15 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and set aside. In the bottom of a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven with a pale interior, combine the sugar and water. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Add the cacao nibs and stir a few times to coat them evenly in the sugar syrup, then let the mixture alone. As the syrup boils, it becomes thicker and big bubbles begin to form. When the moisture is almost gone, it will thicken and become sticky.
Begin stirring. The mixture will be quite sticky and then suddenly start to become sandy. When the sugar is completely sandy and has coated the nibs., remove the pan from the burner and continue to stir about 1 minute. Spread the nibs onto the prepared baking sheet and cool completely . Store in an airtight container.

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